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Sword Grass
This was Su Yu's ideal choice for his fourth soul ring.
wasn't because of the so-called offensive nature of the Sword Grass.
As always, the main goal was that every soul ring presented an opportunity for his martial soul to evolve and transform.
Su Yu would never waste his soul ring slots.
By now, his three previous soul rings had already granted him immense vitality.
Initially, Su Yu had planned to absorb a soul ring from another vitality-rich soul beast for his fourth ring.
However, the Ninth Grade Snow Lotus saved him that step.
At present, his Blue Silver Grass martial soul had already grown significantly in its life attribute, nearly matching that of a top-tier martial soul.
Moving forward, Su Yu's plan to further develop the life attribute of his Blue Silver Grass naturally leaned towards achieving an ultimate attribute.
The current issue was that although his vitality was immense, it was not yet concentrated enough.
That's why he set his sights on the Sword Grass.
Sword Grass, as the name implies, looks like a blade.
Its nature is also like a sword!
Every Sword Grass starts as a simple blade of grass, and through the tempering of elemental energy and the birth of soul power, it eventually becomes a soul beast.
But to grow further, it must endure endless trials, cutting through all adversities to mature.
Sword Grass is abundant in number.
A ten or hundred-year-old Sword Grass wouldn't make a suitable soul ring.
A thousand-year Sword Grass is already a decent option.
But by the time it reaches ten thousand years, Sword Grass becomes one of the most top-tier choices for a soul ring!
The growth attribute of the Sword Grass also determines its strict environmental requirements.
However, the Jingyang Mountain Range is particularly suitable for its growth.
The mountain range is rich in metal-attribute energy, creating an ideal environment for Sword Grass to thrive.
"Sword Grass, huh?"
Jing Hongchen nodded, approving of Su Yu's choice.
"Indeed, your Blue Silver Grass needs a true offensive soul skill."
He was unaware of Su Yu's deeper plans to develop the life attribute of his martial soul and assumed that Su Yu was after the Sword Grass for its offensive soul skill.
From Jing Hongchen's perspective, although Su Yu had created many of his own soul skills—skills that were quite effective and versatile—they still lacked a decisive, powerful finishing move.
In other words, Su Yu was missing a true ultimate technique.
"If you're aiming for a Sword Grass soul ring, I know of a good place."
"Hall Master, do you mean you know where to find a ten-thousand-year-old Sword Grass?"
Su Yu had set this as his ideal goal, but he wasn't particularly confident that he could actually find a ten-thousand-year-old Sword Grass.
Hearing Jing Hongchen's suggestion now filled him with excitement.
"No, I can't say for sure if there's a ten-thousand-year-old Sword Grass," Jing Hongchen shook his head. "But the valley I'm thinking of is located in a wind channel, and it's also incredibly rich in metal-attribute energy. Fierce winds blow through the valley year-round. If there's any Sword Grass in the valley, there's a good chance it could have reached ten thousand years."
Su Yu's eyes lit up as he listened.
A valley like that sounded like it was tailor-made for Sword Grass to grow.
"Hall Master, let's head there and check it out."
"Alright. I've also heard rumors of a Purple-Gold Toad in that area."
Jing Hongchen had done his homework. He was well-versed in matching soul rings for Xiao Hongchen, and he'd thoroughly researched the soul beasts they needed, knowing exactly where they were located.
Regarding the various regions of the Jingyang Mountain Range, including where specific soul beasts congregated, their movements, and the unique areas within the range, Mingde Hall had records on all of it.
Su Yu finally understood what a truly prepared soul beast hunt looked like.
This was professional soul beast hunting.
Shrek Academy's hunts, on the other hand, with their emphasis on fostering independence, were simply absurd.
It was all just luck.
Whoever found the most compatible soul beast had good luck, and if they didn't...
The three of them headed towards the valley Jing Hongchen had mentioned.
One day later...
"What fierce winds!" Su Yu felt as though blades were cutting into his skin.
The metallic energy in the air was so thick that it seemed like countless metal particles were suspended in the atmosphere.
Jing Hongchen pulled out a spherical soul tool, activating it with soul power. A protective shield appeared, enveloping the three of them and shielding them from the harsh winds.
"Let's move."
They continued to venture deeper into the valley.
It was vast, far beyond Su Yu's expectations. The valley was nestled between two mountain ranges of the Jingyang Mountains and stretched over twenty miles.
He now understood why, despite its obvious features, no one could confirm what soul beasts lived here. It wasn't that no one had investigated before—it was simply too large to fully explore.
"There's something up ahead, stay alert," Jing Hongchen said, signaling for Su Yu and Xiao Hongchen to slow down.
"Roar!"
The three cautiously approached, finally seeing the source of the battle ahead.
"A Purple-Gold Dragon Beast!"
Xiao Hongchen exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.
Jing Hongchen smiled as well.
"Xiao, you're in luck."
The Purple-Gold Dragon Beast radiated a dazzling purple-gold light. Despite having the word "dragon" in its name, it wasn't a true dragon and didn't possess dragon bloodline, though it bore a striking resemblance to the dragon species.
Its entire body was composed of metal, making it one of the more unique types of soul beasts.
It was also a species exclusive to the Sun Moon Empire.
Su Yu had read about it in the academy and was well aware of its existence.
"The second layer of its back armor has just begun to grow, indicating it's likely just over ten thousand years old."
"Xiao, this would be a perfect soul ring for you!"
"Here, take this and use your soul power to activate it."
Jing Hongchen handed Xiao Hongchen a finely-crafted spherical soul tool.
Was this the Hongchen Aegis?
"This is a simplified version of the Hongchen Aegis, a level-seven soul tool, one of my recent experimental products. It can merge with the user's spiritual power, providing a protective barrier."
Su Yu was inwardly amazed.
Jing Hongchen truly lived up to his reputation as the Hall Master of Mingde Hall. His research efficiency was impressive, having already produced results in such a short time.
The fact that it could merge with a soul master's spiritual power meant that if triggered while absorbing a soul ring, it could significantly reduce the danger of a ten-thousand-year soul beast's spiritual backlash.
"This is my latest research, so its effectiveness is still unknown.
In the past, soul tools couldn't assist soul masters while they absorbed soul rings.
This soul tool is an innovation using fusion soul tool technology. I wanted to see if it could help soul masters during the absorption process."
"That being said, don't rely on this tool too much."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
He had no objections to testing the soul tool's effectiveness.
After all, this wasn't too difficult a situation.
He wasn't attempting to absorb a soul ring beyond his level or anything.
Jing Hongchen then turned his attention back to the two soul beasts in combat.
The other contender was a silver-white tiger-like soul beast.
"The Silver Moon Tiger," Jing Hongchen said, "its body can become metallic under its soul skill, giving off a silver-white glow. The Silver Moon Tiger would also be a good match for you, Xiao. Absorbing its soul ring could give you a metal transformation skill."
(End of chapter)